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Monday, November 09, 2009

Cooperative Center Federal Credit Union Terminates Whistle-Blower CFO

BERKELEY, CA– After reporting fraud by her CEO to a Board Member on multiple occasions, Porsche Brown was fired from her position as Chief Financial Officer of the Cooperative Center Federal Credit Union in Berkeley.

Specifically, Brown refused to go along with CEO Gary Bell’s directive not to lower mortgage rates for several adjustable-rate mortgage holders. Some of these home-owner should have seen their rates fall by as much as 1% but Bell refused to lower their rates to follow the index the note was tied to.

Additionally, Bell violated the requirements of the National Credit Union Association, the federal governing body for credit unions, that the credit union not take out any new first mortgages because it was in “troubled condition.” When Ms. Brown refused to go along with this unlawful conduct, her CEO told her, “[i]f you don’t do as I say, you’ll need to find some other place to work!”

While Ms. Brown complained to the Board of Directors about this unlawful conduct, nothing was done to change the situation or protect the credit union’s customers from fraud. When her complaints escalated, Ms. Brown was fired.

Ms. Brown filed her wrongful termination lawsuit in Alameda County Superior Court on Monday, November 2, 2009.

According to Plaintiff’s attorney, Angela Alioto, “it is incredible that in this climate, a credit union could continually defraud it’s customers and then terminate someone who was brave enough to take a stand and do the right thing.”

Monday, August 10, 2009

Sexually Charged Language And Sexist, Homophobic, Ethnic And Racial Epithets Are Common Place Within LucasFilms

MARIN, CA– Ms. Tabitha Totah was discriminated against on account of her gender and ancestry.  When she complained, she was fired.

In 2008, Ms. Totah was required to travel for extended periods of time to Europe with employees of a partner company of Lucasfilm. Male employees openly talked and joked about sexual matters and openly engaged in sexual activities.  Ms. Totah told Lucasfilm several times that the environment was toxic.  Soon after, her Supervisor Casey Collins criticized her behavior while consuming alcohol.  Ironically, the "counseling" session took place, per the request of Collins, in a bar while Collins was consuming an alcoholic beverage. Additionally Collins regularly consumes alcohol, as do other males in this double standard company, both during the work day and after.

On February 24, 2009, Ms. Totah was told by her managers in general terms that they had learned of accusations that in the course of business travel she engaged in inappropriate sexual activities with "partners." [i.e., employees of companies hired by Lucasfilm to assist in trade shows, exhibits and/or other projects]. Ms. Totah did not engage in any such activity and vehemently denied any wrongdoing. Despite her requests, Ms. Totah was not told the specifics of the accusations and her request to speak with Human Resources was refused. Ms. Totah considered the accusation to be discrimination based upon sex given the locker room atmosphere of the work place. In the meeting in which Ms. Totah was confronted with the accusations, she stated "If I were a man, this would be handled differently." After being informed of the accusations, her immediate supervisor (Casey Collins) made jokes about the accusations. This humiliated and embarrassed her.  Then on March 6, 2009, Ms. Totah received a Blackberry message while she was at the airport returning from her business trip.  The Blackberry message told her to call her boss, Collins.  She did and in that telephone conversation, Collins told her she was fired.  Collins and another manager later told Ms. Totah that she "needed to be taught a lesson" and that they "didn't think she could get past her issues."

According to Plaintiff's attorney, Angela Alioto, "the standards by Lucasfilm are clear, women get treated differently than their male counterparts."

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Pregnant Woman Not Welcome at LucasFilms

MARIN, CA– After the employment contract to be the personal assistant to George Lucas was signed, but before Plaintiff Julie Gilman-Veronese's first day of work, she informed her immediate supervisor and Executive Assistant to George Lucas, Sarita Patel, that she had become pregnant.  Upon hearing this, the Patel peremptorily told Julie not to report to work until August 11, 2008. On August 8th, 2008, Julie was summarily terminated because of her pregnancy.

Until June 27, the Plaintiff was REPEATEDLY told she was the "perfect candidate" for the job by the hiring agents. Indeed, they offered her a contract that she signed. On June 27, everything changed.  As soon as Patel learned Julie was pregnant, her first day of work was canceled - in the very same conversation. The Plaintiff believes Patel acted under the supervision and direction of George Lucas, in whose home and for whose benefit Julie was to work. Had Julie been given the job of her dreams, though pregnant, Julie would have absolutely been able to perform all of the job duties, to the satisfaction of Mr. Lucas. But Julie was never even given the chance because Patel, George Lucas and Lucasfilms simply did not want to deal with a pregnant woman, in violation of the law.

According to Plaintiff's attorney, Angela Alioto, "the action by LucasFilms is clear, if you're a pregnant woman, we don't want you."

Related Press:

Marin Independent Journal

San Francisco Chronicle

Thursday, April 05, 2007

Angela Alioto named Finalist for the 9th Annual San Francisco Trial Lawyer of the Year Award

Angela Alioto was recently named a Finalist for the 9th Annual San Francisco Trial Lawyer of the Year Award for her work in the Valladares v. Madera Quality Nut Case resulting in a jury verdict of over $25 million.  San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association 9th Annual Trial Lawyer of the Year Gala will be held on Wednesday, May 2nd at the Four Seasons Hotel.

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Angela Alioto Named to Daily Journal's Top Women Litigators List

Angela Alioto has been chosen by the Daily Journal editorial staff as one of the Top Women Litigators in California and will be honored at a special reception on May 9, 2007 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles. In addition, the Daily Journal will publish its annual Top Women Litigators special supplement that will be given to all attendees at the reception and distributed throughout the state on May 10, 2007 in the Los Angeles Daily Journal, San Francisco Daily Journal and the Daily Journal's Daily Recorder in Sacramento. 

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Whistleblowers Awarded over $25 Million in Damages

MADERA, CA - A Madera County jury on Tuesday, September 26, 2006, awarded two whistle blowers over $25 million in damages against Universal Leaf Tobacco, the world's largest independent tobacco merchant, as well as Universal Corporation, Red River Foods and Madera Quality Nut. After reporting a fraudulent fire insurance claim to their employers, their insurance carrier and to law enforcement, Plaintiff Rosemary Valladares was demoted, suspended and terminated, and Plaintiff Ramon Delgadillo was demoted and denied an accommodation for his disability.

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